Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Helier and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Helier and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,426 in Saint Helier versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,205 in Saint Helier versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,984 in Saint Helier versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Saint Helier is roughly 178% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint Helier is 150% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$41.09 JEP 30.49

$4.41 ฿147

831.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 JEP 89.4

$32.26 ฿1,077

273.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 JEP 8.12

$8.93 ฿298

22.51%

Cappuccino

$4.83 JEP 3.58

$2.90 ฿96.6

66.55%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 JEP 2.51

$0.88 ฿29.38

284.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 JEP 1.85

$0.48 ฿16.06

420.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.33 JEP 6.18

$2.35 ฿78.5

254.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 JEP 4.67

$3.72 ฿124

69.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 JEP 1.72

$1.87 ฿62.3

23.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 JEP 2.07

$1.47 ฿48.94

89.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 JEP 2.74

$1.55 ฿51.8

138.06%

Eggs

$6.47 JEP 4.80

$2.10 ฿70.1

208.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.35 JEP 5.45

$19.59 ฿654

-62.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 JEP 8.95

$3.42 ฿114

252.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.39 JEP 13.64

$11.38 ฿380

61.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 JEP 3.19

$2.98 ฿99.6

44.30%

Banana (1kg)

$3.62 JEP 2.69

$1.68 ฿56.2

115.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.29 JEP 3.18

$2.21 ฿73.7

94.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 JEP 3.34

$2.16 ฿72.1

108.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 JEP 2.40

$1.52 ฿50.9

113.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 JEP 2.35

$1.34 ฿44.67

136.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 JEP 1.42

$1.13 ฿37.67

69.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 JEP 1.91

$0.55 ฿18.24

367.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.52 JEP 15.22

$4.26 ฿142

381.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.86 JEP 8.05

$19.09 ฿637

-43.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.64 JEP 3.44

$1.78 ฿59.4

160.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.85 JEP 5.82

$2.78 ฿92.9

182.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 JEP 2.44

$2.23 ฿74.4

47.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.4 JEP 51.5

$22.74 ฿759

205.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 JEP 4.02

$3.03 ฿101

78.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 JEP 1.91

$1.02 ฿34.15

152.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$54.2 JEP 40.23

$3.89 ฿130

1293.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 JEP 1.56

$1.49 ฿49.77

40.94%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.4K JEP 20.3K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

3.15%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$36.7K JEP 27.2K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

35.77%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$331 JEP 246

$102 ฿3,420

222.89%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$46.21 JEP 34.29

$11.33 ฿378

307.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.2 JEP 55.1

$17.40 ฿581

326.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.0 JEP 57.9

$52.1 ฿1,738

49.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.28 JEP 20.98

$11.07 ฿370

155.47%

Cinema Ticket

$20.05 JEP 14.87

$7.69 ฿257

160.73%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,290 JEP 1,699

$561 ฿18.7K

308.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K JEP 8,942

$11.5K ฿384.1K

4.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 JEP 79.6

$63.0 ฿2,104

70.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.7 JEP 55.4

$29.52 ฿986

152.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 JEP 91.9

$98.0 ฿3,272

26.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$208 JEP 154

$88.5 ฿2,954

134.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 JEP 1,390

$738 ฿24.6K

153.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 JEP 1,187

$482 ฿16.1K

231.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,448 JEP 2,559

$2,107 ฿70.3K

63.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,782 JEP 2,064

$1,226 ฿40.9K

126.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.7K JEP 8,700

$3,617 ฿120.7K

224.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.5K JEP 7,827

$2,603 ฿86.9K

305.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,642 JEP 3,445

$494 ฿16.5K

840.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

5.57

-26.75%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Saint Helier: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,873 in Saint Helier and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Helier pays 841% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $121 in Saint Helier vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $427 vs $274 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Saint Helier vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 178% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 841% higher in Saint Helier, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,873 in Saint Helier versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,290 in Saint Helier versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Saint Helier. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $3,426 in Saint Helier, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Saint Helier. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Saint Helier, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Saint Helier and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 178% less than in Saint Helier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.